North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve UK
  • Home
  • Map
  • Who We Are
    • Biosphere Team
    • Contracts
    • UNESCO MAB
    • Partners
    • Biosphere Strategy
    • Biosphere Foundation
  • What We Do
    • Projects
    • 25 YEP Pioneers >
      • Landscape Pioneer
      • Marine Pioneer >
        • MP Library
    • BCHT Project
    • Catchment Management >
      • CaBA Project
      • Catchment Sensitive Farming
      • Estuary Management >
        • Coastal Natural Flood Management
        • Estuary Project
      • Taw River Improvement Project
    • Community & Culture >
      • Biosphere road verges
      • Living Sustainably >
        • Green Pioneers
        • Walking for Health
    • Energy >
      • SE Context >
        • Biosphere Energy Plan
    • Forestry >
      • Woods 4 Water
    • Green Economy
    • Marine >
      • Marine Natural Capital Plan
      • Fishing Sustainably
      • Valuing Marine Ecosystem Services
    • Nature Improvement Area
    • Plastic Free North Devon Consortium
  • Our Biosphere
    • Our Twin Biosphere
    • Review Report
    • State of the Biosphere
    • Agriculture >
      • DEFRA Facilitation Funds
    • Cultural Heritage >
      • Arts Strategy
      • Giants in the Forest
      • Life's Journey
      • Crowdfunder Pledge for Nature
      • Pledge for Nature Project
    • Natural Environment
    • Picture Gallery
  • Out & About
    • The Tarka Trail >
      • Guidebook
    • Local Nature Reserves
    • Braunton Burrows
    • South West Coast Path
    • Marine Wildlife Code Of Conduct
  • Knowledge
  • News
  • Contact
The Biosphere Team who look after the Trail between Braunton and Meeth in partnership with Devon County Council's Highways team aim to ensure that Trail the it is an exemplar for sustainable management that keeps the Trail special for people and wildlife.

Here are just some of the things we have done during 2014 to achieve this:

Coppicing from 2012 showing wild flowers returning
New tarmac at Weare Giffard
Light at the end of the tunnel
Green winged orchid at Fremington
Audio-post at Fremington. Download MP3 audio on this website
The Summer cut
Undertaken over the Trail's full length to ensure the path is kept as easy to use as possible. We try to cut late to ensure that flowers have a chance to seed but not too late so that the vegetation takes over.
Trail-side coppicing
This was done over 300 metres both side of the Trail in the southern section between Yarde and Bagbear. It opens up views, allows light to reach the trail to dry the surface and to bring opn wild flowers with the insects and other wildlife that they support. This work is done unpaid by a firewood contractor who gets to keep and sell the firewood.
Re-surfacing
15 years after it was laid down, the tarmac surface has been replaced between Torrington and Weare Giffard and at Landcross tunnel. Widening and re-surfacing work on 1km of Trail south of Yarde was also completed.
Drainage works and fencing
The draininage on the Tarka Trail was orginally installed with the railway. It is a constant challenge to keeping the Trail from flooding. extensive ditch clearence has been done at Penhill. New fencing to keep stock from the Trail has also been built at Meeth, Watergate and Penhill.
Fremington Cuttings
This area is a County Wildlife site for its wild flowers and needs special management to keep it in good condition. Fencing has been erected to protect it from flailing and to allow sheep grazing which is the best sort of management for the flowers.
Signage and interpretation.
The broken light columns at Braunton that have been disconnected and will be removed shortly. New low energy lights will replace them. The interpretation spires at intervals along the Trail are suffering from rot and need to replaced. It is hoped this can be done in 2015.
New lights at Landcross
New low energy lights have been put into Landcross Tunnel to replace the old broken ones that had plunged the tunnel into darkness.

North Devon Biosphere
LIVING AND WORKING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

Site Map

Home
Who We Are
Partners
Reports & Partnership Meeting Minutes
Periodic Review
What We Do
Action Plan
You & Your Biosphere
Natural Environment
Out & About
Braunton Burrows
Easy Access Trails
Local Nature Reserves
South West Coast Path
Tarka Trail
Tarka Trail Audio Guide Downloads
Cultural Heritage
Industry & Economy
Agriculture
Freshwater & Marine Industries
Fishing Sustainably
Living Sustainably
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Energy Action Plan
Adapting to Sea Level Rise
Walking for Health

BioBlitz
Biodiversity Offsets
Catchment Sensitive Farming
Confluence
Giants in the Forest
Green Pioneers
Investing in Nature
Life's Journey
Marine Conservation Zones
Nature Improvement Area
North Devon Cookbook
Sustainable Farming Award
Taw River Improvement Project
Valuing Marine Ecosystem Services
Visitor Gifting with Marsdens Cottage Holidays
Learning & Research
Our Twin Biosphere
Learning Resources
People and Environment
Research
News
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
​
Newsletter archive
Contact
​
Privacy Policy

Search this Site

​North Devon Biosphere, 1st Floor Taw View, North Walk, Barnstaple, North Devon, EX31 1EE, UK
telephone: 01271 388647